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Posted: 11/4/2023 8:48:05 AM EDT
[#1]
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Posted: 11/4/2023 8:51:38 AM EDT
[#2]
If you turn the light off before getting into it theres nothing that can happen.
Unless they pass the threeway wires through the light fixture junction box, in which case you could access always live wiring. But still the hot wire to light would be dead and theres no reason to touch the other stuff. Then if its old ass work or someone was an idiot with ancient idiot tendencies, the neutral could be switched which would make the light go off with switch, but the hot wire still shock the piss out of you. But thats a very small chance of something i see 1% of the time on stuff done 50-80 years ago. Breaker wouldnt hurt if none of this makes sense. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 8:55:38 AM EDT
[#3]
I do it occasionally but breaker off or not I always use voltage tester pen to check before touching wires.
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Posted: 11/4/2023 9:18:01 AM EDT
[#4]
Remove the fixture and look in the box - if there's just a single piece of Romex cable in it with a black, white & ground you're okay with turning off the switches. If the box contains multiple cables turn off the breaker.
Maybe put a bit of tape over those switches to keep someone from flipping them. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 9:34:19 AM EDT
[#5]
Wife, can you give me a little light? I can't see quite what I am doing.......
SURE! |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 9:38:40 AM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Remove the fixture and look in the box - if there's just a single piece of Romex cable in it with a black, white & ground you're okay with turning off the switches. If the box contains multiple cables turn off the breaker. Maybe put a bit of tape over those switches to keep someone from flipping them. This |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 9:41:44 AM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted: If you turn the light off before getting into it theres nothing that can happen. Then if its old ass work or someone was an idiot with ancient idiot tendencies, the neutral could be switched which would make the light go off with switch, but the hot wire still shock the piss out of you. But thats a very small chance of something i see 1% of the time on stuff done 50-80 years ago. Breaker wouldnt hurt if none of this makes sense. One time I shocked the crap out of myself because the switch was wired wrong. Since then I always turn off the circuit breaker. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 9:43:21 AM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Then if its old ass work or someone was an idiot with ancient idiot tendencies, the neutral could be switched which would make the light go off with switch, but the hot wire still shock the piss out of you. But thats a very small chance of something i see 1% of the time on stuff done 50-80 years ago. That's the case in two rooms in my house. I've been contemplating fixing it for twenty years 
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Posted: 11/4/2023 9:43:40 AM EDT
[#9]
If it's a two way, I'll flip off the switch, use duct tape to secure the switch itself and check for voltage at the fixture box with a probe.
3 way, I'll just kill the power and check with a probe. I have switch happy family members, and some of my 3+ way circuits have switches in various rooms, such as outdoor lighting. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 9:47:27 AM EDT
[#10]
Testing pen. Light switch off. Always test and make it habit to test often.
If I am doing a lot I just flip the main. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 9:52:03 AM EDT
[#11]
I just turn the breaker off. I have 3 kids and a wife who I can definitely see not listening to me and flip the awitch on out of habit.
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Posted: 11/4/2023 9:55:34 AM EDT
[#12]
Remove one wire at a time carefully and cap it with a wirenut so it can't touch anything.
I've wired many ceiling lights that were still hot because they were tied to a switch that controlled other lights in the room and I didn't want to work in total darkness holding a flashlight. 110 stings to shock yourself with but it's not life ending. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 9:58:20 AM EDT
[#13]
I just did that last weekend. Didn't fuck around, threw the breaker.
If I didn't have a big window giving plenty of daylight, I just would've used a work lamp and extension cord from another room, in concert with a headlamp. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 10:29:54 AM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I do it occasionally but breaker off or not I always use voltage tester pen to check before touching wires. I would never trust one of those enough to touch the wires. If I'm going to touch the wires, I'm going to touch them with a meter first. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 10:31:33 AM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Wife, can you give me a little light? I can't see quite what I am doing....... SURE!  |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 10:32:01 AM EDT
[#16]
Is turning a breaker off seriously this big of a deal?
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Posted: 11/4/2023 10:34:50 AM EDT
[#17]
Rubber gloves are cheap.
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Posted: 11/4/2023 10:36:15 AM EDT
[#18]
First off, 110 tickles if you get it wrong and turning off the switch is fine for swapping a bulb. If removing wires throw the breaker.
OP reminded me of this one time.... I needed to change the outside corner flood light. It's the one the ladder doesn't reach. I drive my truck around and place the ladder in the bed to reach the fixture. I go downstairs of my recently purchased home and throw the breaker. Get up there with tools in hand and remove the bulbs. Back up the ladder I unscrew the fixture. Removing the first wire nut I get zapped, on the ladder, probably close to 30 feet up. The breakers were marked for the outside flood lights but somehow this one was on a different circuit from all the others. Worked great for the other flood lights I replaced, but I learned a lesson that day. I figured out later the electrician ran 3 15AMP lines to that outside wall of the house and where they all went. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 10:37:43 AM EDT
[#19]
A light can be switched off by wiring the neutral wire to the switch or by wiring the hot wire to the switch.
Turning off the switch in either wiring senerio would turn off the light by "opening the circuit". But if the neutral is switched then you still have live 110 at the light fixture. Best to turn off the breaker. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 10:37:59 AM EDT
[#20]
Double
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Posted: 11/4/2023 10:41:51 AM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted: First off, 110 tickles if you get it wrong and turning off the switch is fine for swapping a bulb. If removing wires throw the breaker. A whole bunch of people have been tickled to death. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 10:52:04 AM EDT
[#22]
Have to replace a dimmer at parents house this weekend. Will do it hot more than likely.
He already had someone come replace it once about 2 weeks ago and left it with very dim and off. I'm hoping a bad dimmer, but it's always fun fixing others f up's. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 10:53:53 AM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted: A whole bunch of people have been tickled to death. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: First off, 110 tickles if you get it wrong and turning off the switch is fine for swapping a bulb. If removing wires throw the breaker. A whole bunch of people have been tickled to death. That is true and to be safe throw the breaker. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 11:04:03 AM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted: A whole bunch of people have been tickled to death. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: First off, 110 tickles if you get it wrong and turning off the switch is fine for swapping a bulb. If removing wires throw the breaker. A whole bunch of people have been tickled to death. I didn't realize that could do the job. My wife got me one time when I was changing a switch by flipping the breaker back on. Claims to this day she thought I told her to flip it back on. Uh huh... |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 11:07:38 AM EDT
[#25]
You would be amazed at the fucked up things people do with wiring.
I used to be an engineer for Underwriters Laboratories and was on an NEC panel for two cycles. I always turn off the breaker. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 11:08:56 AM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I do it occasionally but breaker off or not I always use voltage tester pen to check before touching wires. Same. Breaker off, test with pen to be completely safe. Only takes a minute. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 11:09:50 AM EDT
[#27]
I've been tickled before. Now, I always flip the breaker.
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Posted: 11/4/2023 11:10:32 AM EDT
[#28]
Getting zapped is a normal part of electrical wiring, don't feel bad, its happened to me a few times
>In the basement as a kid (I was 8), standing on a sewer pipe barefoot >Screwing in a lightbulb, socket was wired backwards >Woke up on the floor Second time >Wiring a telephone (old school analog phone in the 70's); also 8 yrs old >Didn't have wire strippers, used my teeth; phones are low voltage, why not? >Someone called as I was stripping the wire; ringer voltage is something like 70v AC >Swallowed a piece of wire insulation on that one Third time >Working in garage under a countertop >Changing an outlet, couldn't remember which breaker, decided to wire it hot >Having trouble with screwdriver, decided to steady the shank with my other hand >Hit my head pretty hard when I reflexively jerked from the jolt Fourth time >Wiring in a new outlet in an addition >Wire passed nearby, decided to tap into that >Figured I'd find out which breaker by cutting it, the breaker would trip >Blew two holes into my linemans pliers >Turns out that wire was 240v Fifth time >Adding a back porch light >Wired the Power to the switch first >Went to cut the wire to the light to the correct length >Forgot the wire was live, ruined another pair of linemans pliers Sixth time >Troubleshooting a non-working Hot Tub >Tracing the wiring on the control box >Looked at the wiring, saw the black wire, announced "this is the ground", and touched it >That was my second time being zapped by 240v Seventh time >Changing the garage fuse box >Turned off breaker in the house >Went nuts with a cordless drill, unscrewed every wire >When I yanked the box off the wall, huge shower of sparks >I miscounted and the breaker I turned off wasn't the right one Overall you shouldn't feel too bad about getting zapped. Its part of doing your own wiring, and you should get used to them. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 11:12:04 AM EDT
[#29]
Breaker off. Cost you an additional minute of time.
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Posted: 11/4/2023 11:18:55 AM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I do it occasionally but breaker off or not I always use voltage tester pen to check before touching wires. This. Even if you turn off the breaker sometimes there will be a connection from a different circuit. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 11:21:09 AM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Wife, can you give me a little light? I can't see quite what I am doing....... SURE! "KELLY! How do you spell 'off'?!" |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 11:22:52 AM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Getting zapped is a normal part of electrical wiring, don't feel bad, its happened to me a few times >In the basement as a kid (I was 8), standing on a sewer pipe barefoot >Screwing in a lightbulb, socket was wired backwards >Woke up on the floor Second time >Wiring a telephone (old school analog phone in the 70's); also 8 yrs old >Didn't have wire strippers, used my teeth; phones are low voltage, why not? >Someone called as I was stripping the wire; ringer voltage is something like 70v AC >Swallowed a piece of wire insulation on that one Third time >Working in garage under a countertop >Changing an outlet, couldn't remember which breaker, decided to wire it hot >Having trouble with screwdriver, decided to steady the shank with my other hand >Hit my head pretty hard when I reflexively jerked from the jolt Fourth time >Wiring in a new outlet in an addition >Wire passed nearby, decided to tap into that >Figured I'd find out which breaker by cutting it, the breaker would trip >Blew two holes into my linemans pliers >Turns out that wire was 240v Fifth time >Adding a back porch light >Wired the Power to the switch first >Went to cut the wire to the light to the correct length >Forgot the wire was live, ruined another pair of linemans pliers Sixth time >Troubleshooting a non-working Hot Tub >Tracing the wiring on the control box >Looked at the wiring, saw the black wire, announced "this is the ground", and touched it >That was my second time being zapped by 240v Seventh time >Changing the garage fuse box >Turned off breaker in the house >Went nuts with a cordless drill, unscrewed every wire >When I yanked the box off the wall, huge shower of sparks >I miscounted and the breaker I turned off wasn't the right one Overall you shouldn't feel too bad about getting zapped. Its part of doing your own wiring, and you should get used to them. That's about as smart as saying' "ND's are a part of shooting. You should get used to them." |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 11:26:42 AM EDT
[#33]
Quote HistoryQuoted: That's about as smart as saying' "ND's are a part of shooting. You should get used to them." Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Getting zapped is a normal part of electrical wiring, don't feel bad, its happened to me a few times >In the basement as a kid (I was 8), standing on a sewer pipe barefoot >Screwing in a lightbulb, socket was wired backwards >Woke up on the floor Second time >Wiring a telephone (old school analog phone in the 70's); also 8 yrs old >Didn't have wire strippers, used my teeth; phones are low voltage, why not? >Someone called as I was stripping the wire; ringer voltage is something like 70v AC >Swallowed a piece of wire insulation on that one Third time >Working in garage under a countertop >Changing an outlet, couldn't remember which breaker, decided to wire it hot >Having trouble with screwdriver, decided to steady the shank with my other hand >Hit my head pretty hard when I reflexively jerked from the jolt Fourth time >Wiring in a new outlet in an addition >Wire passed nearby, decided to tap into that >Figured I'd find out which breaker by cutting it, the breaker would trip >Blew two holes into my linemans pliers >Turns out that wire was 240v Fifth time >Adding a back porch light >Wired the Power to the switch first >Went to cut the wire to the light to the correct length >Forgot the wire was live, ruined another pair of linemans pliers Sixth time >Troubleshooting a non-working Hot Tub >Tracing the wiring on the control box >Looked at the wiring, saw the black wire, announced "this is the ground", and touched it >That was my second time being zapped by 240v Seventh time >Changing the garage fuse box >Turned off breaker in the house >Went nuts with a cordless drill, unscrewed every wire >When I yanked the box off the wall, huge shower of sparks >I miscounted and the breaker I turned off wasn't the right one Overall you shouldn't feel too bad about getting zapped. Its part of doing your own wiring, and you should get used to them. That's about as smart as saying' "ND's are a part of shooting. You should get used to them." I can't tell if that's some amazingly well crafted trolling or if he's serious. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 11:31:23 AM EDT
[#34]
There is no reason not to turn the power off at the breaker. You may need to reset some clocks or something, but it is a small price to pay for safety. Changing out a light fixture is about as easy as it gets in electrical. Watch a few videos, and if you still feel a bit apprehensive, hire it out. Electricity is nothing to take chances with. It truly is life and death.
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Posted: 11/4/2023 11:32:22 AM EDT
[#35]
If you aren't sure, kill everything.
Personally, I don't touch power work without a meter, I've seen quite a few live circuits that I thought were cold. Unless you wired it yourself you never know. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 11:34:08 AM EDT
[#36]
Nobody ever got electrocuted by tripping the breaker.
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Posted: 11/4/2023 11:35:29 AM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Getting zapped is a normal part of electrical wiring, don't feel bad, its happened to me a few times >In the basement as a kid (I was 8), standing on a sewer pipe barefoot >Screwing in a lightbulb, socket was wired backwards >Woke up on the floor Second time >Wiring a telephone (old school analog phone in the 70's); also 8 yrs old >Didn't have wire strippers, used my teeth; phones are low voltage, why not? >Someone called as I was stripping the wire; ringer voltage is something like 70v AC >Swallowed a piece of wire insulation on that one Third time >Working in garage under a countertop >Changing an outlet, couldn't remember which breaker, decided to wire it hot >Having trouble with screwdriver, decided to steady the shank with my other hand >Hit my head pretty hard when I reflexively jerked from the jolt Fourth time >Wiring in a new outlet in an addition >Wire passed nearby, decided to tap into that >Figured I'd find out which breaker by cutting it, the breaker would trip >Blew two holes into my linemans pliers >Turns out that wire was 240v Fifth time >Adding a back porch light >Wired the Power to the switch first >Went to cut the wire to the light to the correct length >Forgot the wire was live, ruined another pair of linemans pliers Sixth time >Troubleshooting a non-working Hot Tub >Tracing the wiring on the control box >Looked at the wiring, saw the black wire, announced "this is the ground", and touched it >That was my second time being zapped by 240v Seventh time >Changing the garage fuse box >Turned off breaker in the house >Went nuts with a cordless drill, unscrewed every wire >When I yanked the box off the wall, huge shower of sparks >I miscounted and the breaker I turned off wasn't the right one Overall you shouldn't feel too bad about getting zapped. Its part of doing your own wiring, and you should get used to them. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 11:36:38 AM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I would never trust one of those enough to touch the wires. If I'm going to touch the wires, I'm going to touch them with a meter first. Could you expand on that? Are the voltage pens not to be trusted? |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 11:36:57 AM EDT
[#39]
In this thread we learn that every man should have a multimeter.
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Posted: 11/4/2023 11:51:19 AM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Could you expand on that? Are the voltage pens not to be trusted? Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: I would never trust one of those enough to touch the wires. If I'm going to touch the wires, I'm going to touch them with a meter first. Could you expand on that? Are the voltage pens not to be trusted? Here are the very first lines from Fluke's tester manual... To prevent possible electric shock or personal injury: • Read all safety information before you use the Product. • Do not rely on the Tester to detect the presence or absence of voltage on a conductor for safety purposes. A single pole non-contact voltage detector such as this Tester is NOT suitable to determine if a circuit is hazardous. A volt meter or 2-pole voltage detector is necessary to confirm the absence of hazardous voltage prior to commencing work ETA: I had never seen the manual before, but I knew that statement would be near the top. You just wouldn't want to bet your life on one of those crappy testers. They're for troubleshooting only. They're great in a panel full of relay logic, but there's not much of that around any more.. Mine hasn't been out of the drawer in many years. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 12:04:37 PM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryQuoted: One time I shocked the crap out of myself because the switch was wired wrong. Since then I always turn off the circuit breaker. I have shocked myself a hundred times over the years. Not from this type of scenario but in general. No time to hunt breakers. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 12:08:47 PM EDT
[#42]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I just turn the breaker off. I have 3 kids and a wife who I can definitely see not listening to me and flip the awitch on out of habit. This. You should always turn the circuit off at the breaker and confirm that the power is off before doing any work. The tester I use is  
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Posted: 11/4/2023 12:13:50 PM EDT
[#43]
Volt meters are cheap enough that you really should have one.
BIL replaced a ceiling fan but switched the hot and common, touching the housing would give you a shock. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 12:41:56 PM EDT
[#44]
Go to harbor freight and get a pen sized hot wire tester. You press the button, and if a wire is hot it'll beep.
Turn off the switch(es). Use the tester. If all the wires you're touching aren't hot, go ahead. Source: Me, just did a fuck ton of lights and fans renovating my house to sell it. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 12:45:39 PM EDT
[#45]
Quoted: I didn't realize that could do the job. My wife got me one time when I was changing a switch by flipping the breaker back on. Claims to this day she thought I told her to flip it back on. Uh huh... Time to reduce your life insurance. Make sure that you are worth more alive than dead. When you use a non-contact tester, always check it first in a live outlet to make sure it’s working. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 12:49:04 PM EDT
[#46]
I was changing the fixture in our common bath on the second floor recently. Switch off, tested, good to go. Took old fixture down and carried into the other room. in the 45 seconds I was gone, my kid went in there to take a leak. He instinctively flipped on the switch. So I get back in there and immediately get juiced. My fault....I should have double checked.
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Posted: 11/4/2023 12:49:55 PM EDT
[#47]
I've replaced most of the lights, fans etc in my home.
I just make sure the switch is off and use a kline pen tester. Outlets, obviously you want to shut the circuit off. 
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Posted: 11/4/2023 12:50:04 PM EDT
[#48]
Definitely breaker. Who knows if the fixture was properly wired.
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Posted: 11/4/2023 12:54:15 PM EDT
[#49]
Quoted: Just turn switch off or necessary to turn off breaker? Two switch ceiling light in laundry room. One switch at each doorway. Do you have a heart condition? Getting a jolt is a great way to find out. Be prepared to grab back on if your heart stops. |
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Posted: 11/4/2023 1:01:40 PM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Remove one wire at a time carefully and cap it with a wirenut so it can't touch anything. I've wired many ceiling lights that were still hot because they were tied to a switch that controlled other lights in the room and I didn't want to work in total darkness holding a flashlight. 110 stings to shock yourself with but it's not life ending. I know a guy who's then-to-be FIL killed himself changing the light bulb in the range hood. Family was in the living room. Heard a "snap" then the sound of him hitting the floor. DRT. 110 is PLENTY enough to stop your heart if it takes the wrong path through your body. |
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